A new beginning

After three long years and significant changes within the organization, I decided it was time for a change.  My best friend and I had co-founded a nonprofit organization, Run 2 Inspire, in 2007 but after she left the organization in March and I made some personal decisions in our friendship, I decided it was time for me to do this on my own. 

Why Fight | Survive | Inspire?

A cancer diagnosis changes your life, whether you are the patient, the caregiver, or the friend.  When I was diagnosed with Stage IIA advanced cervical cancer in October 2006, my life fell apart.  After battling grueling radiation and chemotherapy treatments, I am finally in remission and am making it my personal mission in life to eradicate cervical cancer.

I've been through hell and back in my 27 years of life.  I lost my [adopted] father to suicide when I was 12 and then I lost my [adopted] mother when I was 20.  And then I was struck with cervical cancer at 23.  It's amazing I'm still standing on my own two feet after all of it, but I'm determined to share my story.

Fight for your life.  Survive the battle.  Inspire others to do the same.

What's your mission?

The Fight | Survive | Inspire Foundation (formerly Run 2 Inspire) is a nonprofit organization that raises awareness for mental health and cancer in young adults.

Our mission is to empower young adults to take charge of their lives by building community awareness, establishing meaningful relationships, and inspiring them to live life with a purpose.

Who is your target audience?

The Fight | Survive | Inspire Foundation supports all types of cancer advocacy and we raise awareness for all mental health issues, like depression, bi-polar disorder, and suicide. We would love to reach out to anyone who has a cancer connection or has suffered from a mental health issue.  It doesn't matter what type of cancer you have, we're all fighting the same battle.

What's on the agenda?

Well, since this is a clean slate, I anticipate a slow start, but we've got some great things in the works for 2011.  Some of our events may be the same ones we did under Run 2 Inspire, but some of them won't be.  We are trying to re-brand ourselves and establish a bigger presence in the Philadelphia area, and eventually, hit the national spotlight.

We are also working on a couple viral marketing campaigns.  Right now, our objective is to just get our name out there again and build a presence. 

As we continue to build the Fight | Survive | Inspire Foundation, I hope you will follow our journey. 

Fight for your life.  Survive the battle.  Inspire others to do the same.